India, Jan. 28 -- India celebrated her 77th Republic Day on Monday, with the parade also marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, the iconic anthem written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Roughly translating to "Mother, I pray/bow to thee," the composition has endured for over a century, inspiring generations of freedom fighters and nation-builders. Independence in 1947 freed the country from colonial rule, but it was the adoption of the Constitution in 1950 that completed that journey, establishing India as a republic where authority flows from the people, not from monarchy or heredity.

What is a Republic?

The defining feature of a republic is that it is non-monarchical: it is not ruled by a hereditary king. Instead, governance is carried ...